


make you mine this season

by beware_of_you



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F, Gay, ITS MAGICAL, aletnate title emily is soft for her family, and sad kinda, bc jj has a momentTM about her sister, but cute, but its all just sugary sweet fluff, but its cute leave me alone, but oh well, cavities incoming, christmas tree farm things, i meant to publish this before the end of 2020, im..... so soft for this family, its gay, its so sweet wtf, jemily as moms, jemily family christmas, jemily family fluff ftw!!, kinda feels like a crack fic, momily!!!, sergio is there n he's old, yeah its past christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beware_of_you/pseuds/beware_of_you
Summary: This is the first time Emily actually gets to spend Christmas with both JJ and her sons, despite the boys having known the nature of their mother's relationship with Emily for years now. It feels so natural, so easy. The older woman never thought that anything could have been missing from previous years with her girlfriend— it was always the best part of her year. As she looks down in front of her to see Michael and Henry, both literally mini clones of their mother. Emily couldn't imagine anything feeling as perfect as things feel right now.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 10
Kudos: 93





	make you mine this season

"Whoa!" both boys exclaim excitedly from the backseat as the SUV bumps unsteadily along the slushy, gravel road. JJ shoots them both a grin through the rearview mirror, their excitement infectious. She turns her head to the side briefly to look at Emily, unable to stop the light laugh from escaping her lips at the sight that greets her.

The older woman is clutching the panic bar above the door like it's a lifeline, eyes wide in bewilderment at the blonde's driving. 

"This road is awful!" she yelps as the SUV dips and dives along the windy and bumpy road. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

JJ giggles, placing a hand soothingly against her girlfriend's thigh. She gives the muscle a light, reassuring squeeze before she focuses back on the road. For Emily's sake, the blonde eases up on the gas pedal. 

"Yep," she confirms as her eyes scan the isolated, snow-covered terrain. "It's just up this road."

Emily looks over at the younger woman dubiously, then glances at Henry and Michael huddled in the backseat. "You guys would tell me if she was leaving me out here in the woods, right?"

JJ rolls her eyes playfully at the brunette's tone, unable to stop herself from smiling at the sounds of her sons’ giggles.

"Maybe," Henry drags out, kicking his feet out in the space between his seat and JJ's. "But maybe she bribed us to keep quiet."

"You can just walk back, Emmy!" Michael exclaims a solution innocently. 

Emily swivels and playfully scowls at the twelve and four-year-old. 

"I see how it is." She sniffs dramatically, throwing herself back in her seat. She brings her hand over her forehead, looking up at the ceiling solemnly. "Just leave poor Emmy out in the woods to fend for herself: no food, no water, no shelter from the elements. And only a few weeks before Christmas! You Jareaus are cruel and twisted, I tell ya! Cruel and twisted!"

JJ lightly whacks her girlfriend's side with the back of her hand, snorting at her performance. "We're not getting rid of you," she swears, looping her fingers through Emily's free hand and lightly squeezing. "I promise, this is where the tree farm is!"

"Gertrude says that's where we're going!" Henry points out, leaning up in the middle console to gesture to the GPS hooked to the middle air conditioning duct. "See!"

Emily narrows her eyes at the GPS before turning back to Henry. "I think you paid Gertrude off to keep her quiet. She's nothing more than a compliant witness to your crime of abandonment of a federal agent," she argues, smiling at the end of her statement to let him know she was kidding.

"Emily!" Henry cries out in exasperation, bringing up his hand and cupping it over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter.

Emily pats his knee affectionately before she adjusts herself back in her seat so she's facing the road once more. She catches JJ giving her a warm, loving smile, clearly happy watching her girlfriend and her sons interact. Emily returns the gesture easily, bringing their interlocked hands up to her lips and placing a kiss on the back of the blonde's hand.

"I see the sign!" Michael exclaims, poking his head between the women to point out the front windshield. 

Sure enough, dead ahead is a big, bright red sign with a border of rainbow LED Christmas lights just above a wooden gate that borders the property. A cartoonish Santa Claus and a bright green tree painted by hand are on display in the bottom left corner. Right in the middle of the sign, hand-painted in bold, white letters are the words, "O'Neil Family Christmas Tree Farm!" The tiny words become more legible as the SUV bounds up towards the entrance to the farm, advertising free hot cocoa and homemade hot apple cider and a reindeer petting zoo, as well as displaying the hours the farm is open.

The white landscape around the black SUV begins to sprout patches of small, green Douglas fir trees. As they drive past the entrance, an opening in the worn, wooden fence, more and more trees appear until it becomes almost impossible to spot any snow on the ground that isn't obstructed by green.

"Whoa!" Michael breathes out in awe, face practically pressed against the window. "Cool!"

Henry hums in agreement, gazing out his window at the dozens upon dozens of rows of towering, dark evergreens. 

The SUV crawls up towards the red farmhouse with a wrap-around porch, a small barn with an outdoor pen sitting just beside it. Inside the pen are a few reindeer. A young couple with a small toddler stand just outside the pen, the man pointing to the reindeer while the woman holds the child. 

Just off to the side is a shed with a few large pieces of equipment operated by two men. Emily watches as one of the men hulls a tree into one end of the machine and the other man pulls the tree out, now completely encased in a net.

JJ carefully parks the car vertically in a spot marked off by a rectangular piece of wood. She shuts off the car, sliding the keys into the pocket of her coat before turning around to the boys. "You guys ready to go pick out a tree?"

"Yeah!" they both cry out excitedly.

Henry eagerly unbuckles himself and, after briefly checking to make sure no one was walking close to the car, flings open the door. He swings himself out, landing in a pile of slushy, squishy snow before he races to the back of the car.

JJ unbuckles just as quickly, barely managing to grab her cellphone before she calls out, "Henry, slow down!" Her voice gets muffled as she shuts her door and follows her son to the back of the SUV to stop him from going much further.

Emily laughs quietly to herself, exiting the car much more carefully. She shuts her door softly, heading towards the back door to unbuckle Michael from his car seat. While he's usually able to do it himself, his puffy blue winter jacket and gloves make it nearly impossible for him to wriggle out on his own.

She unclips the buckles, taking a moment to adjust the younger boy's hat on his head so that it covers his ears before scooping him up in her arms and letting him shut his door. She maneuvers much more cautiously around piles of slush, setting Michael down on the ground when they meet up with JJ and Henry. He still reaches up and takes a hold of her free hand, grasping onto it as tight as he can with his awkward, thick gloves.

A third man that they didn't spot driving up waves politely at the family from the barn. "Welcome to O'Neil's!" He greets them, stepping closer so that the family can hear him over the sounds of various machinery. "You folks can head out and pick whatever tree you want from rows A-J," he gestures to the signs marking the rows of trees. "Then you come back up here to get one of us to cut it down and get it all prepped for you. Hot cocoa and apple cider are on the house while you wait and, if the kids want, they can feed some of the reindeer."

JJ gives the man one of her signature liaison smiles. "Thank you," she replies gratefully, resting her hands on Henry's shoulders. 

The man gives the blonde a polite nod, which she reciprocates, before he turns back to working on prepping other trees for other customers.

JJ turns back to her family, lightly swinging her hand that's clasped with Emily's between them. "Where do you guys want to start?"

"Let's just go down the rows," Henry suggests, already scanning ahead in order to spot what he thinks is "the perfect tree.”

"Lead the way, boss man," Emily jokes with him, gesturing ahead towards row A.

Henry takes off until there's a couple of feet of space between himself and the women as he starts towards the path to row A. Michael lets go of Emily's hand and toddles after his big brother, keeping in step with him and chatting eagerly about the trees. Emily and JJ keep a watchful eye on the boys as they linger back, simply enjoying the rare family moment they hardly experienced due to their jobs and the boys' time being split between two homes. 

Despite the cold nipping at their cheeks and noses, the snow seeping into their socks, and the loud noises coming from the machines at the barn, it's completely perfect.

Tiny snowflakes fall from the ground and land on their coats and any exposed skin available. One lands on the tip of Emily’s nose, causing her to scrunch up her face at the sudden feeling. JJ stifles a giggle with the back of her own hand.

“You got something  _ right _ there,” the blonde points out playfully, gently tapping the end of Emily’s nose.

Emily’s eyes narrow slightly, silently contemplating her next move. Without breaking eye contact with her girlfriend, she bends down and picks up a handful of freshly fallen snow.

JJ takes a step back. “Emily Prentiss, you  _ wouldn’t _ .”

“I wouldn’t?” Emily repeats innocently, a gleeful smirk on her face as she reels her hand back to throw the snowball.

JJ scrambles ahead, catching up with her sons. “Boys, snowball fight! Get Emmy!” she encourages, packing a small snowball in her hands.

Henry and Michael’s eyes both light up at the possibility of a snowball fight, both diving down and making snowballs for themselves.

Outnumbered, Emily drops her snowball back on the ground and raises her hands in a peaceful gesture. “Truce?” She tries, shooting her girlfriend with an apologetic smile.

“Get her!” Michael cries out, throwing the first snowball. It lands directly on Emily’s coat and breaks apart on impact. The tiny particles of snow temporarily block her vision, preventing her from seeing the other two snowballs. One breaks on her face, causing her to back up and sputter out water.

_ Shit _ .

Emily turns and makes a break for it, diving between the trees and using them as a shield. Despite her cheeks feeling absolutely frozen and her hair doused in snow, she can’t stop herself from laughing along happily with JJ and the boys. 

The brunette yells out as more snowballs pelt her from seemingly every direction. She sticks out her hands in attempts to block the snow, failing miserably at it. By the time the boys and JJ catch up to her, she’s up against a tree with nowhere left to run. 

“Wait, wait!” she breathlessly gasps through giggles, waving her hands in front of herself. “Wait, truce! Truce!”

JJ stands with one hand on her hip, the other clutching a snowball up in the air as if she’s ready to throw it. She turns to her sons, grinning wide. “What do you think, guys? You think she learned her lesson?”

“Yeah! I think so,” Michael shrugs, dropping his snowball on the ground.

“Never mess with you?” Henry guesses with a lopsided grin, wiping snow from his gloves.

JJ beams, ruffling his hair affectionately. “There you go!” She finally drops her snowball, extending her hand out to Emily. “Truce.”

Emily sighs in relief, taking her girlfriend’s hand with a loving smile. “Consider my lesson learned.”

The four slowly make their way up and down the rows in alphabetical order, allowing the boys to inspect each individual tree. At one point in row C, Michael points out an evergreen with soft, short needles that seems like the perfect one. It's not until Henry inspects it closer that he notices a bald patch just on its bottom portion.

They look and look until finally in the middle of row I, the boys spot it.

It's a full, bushy tree, standing at around 7ft tall— manageable enough to fit in the living room of their house. The needles are long but full, and the branches are sturdy. After a quick inspection by Henry to check for any squirrels or chipmunks, he turns to JJ and Emily with a hopeful glance.

"This one?" Henry asks.

"It's so big!" Michael exclaims, throwing his arms out to showcase his own shock at the sheer size of the tree. "Momma, Emmy, can we get it? Can we get it? Pleeeeaaase?"

Emily chuckles, wrapping her arms around JJ's waist and taking a step back so that she's standing behind the blonde. The older woman rests her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder, humming to herself as she looks over the tree. "What do you think,  _ ma belle _ ?"

JJ flushes at the endearment, smiling to herself as she glances between her boys and the tree. She turns to her girlfriend, pecking her lips softly. "I think it's perfect."

Both women can't help but laugh in delight when the boys respond to their answers with enthusiastic cheers, Michael pumping his fist in the air while Henry jumps up in the air with a hissed exclamation of, "Yes!"

"I'll go get someone to help us," Emily insists, bending down and giving her girlfriend a brief, parting kiss. "You three stay here and guard the tree."

JJ offers her girlfriend a mock salute. "On it, SSA Prentiss," she replies with a borderline serious expression. Her façade is immediately broken when Michael tugs on her arm to show her the tree from his level. She squats down between her boys, balancing on the balls of her feet.

“Momma, isn’t it the best?” Michael gushes, extending his arms out. “It’s  _ huge _ !”

“There’s no patches!” Henry enthuses, gesturing to the whole tree. “And the needles look firm and healthy. It’s the best tree we’ve seen!”

“Oh yeah?” JJ responds just as eagerly, smiling between the two. “What else do you like about it?”

Emily steps back and observes her small family with a warm smile, heart swelling with nothing but love and admiration for the three people in front of her. She shakes herself from her daze and makes her way back to the farmhouse. She immediately spots the worker that greeted them and goes over to let him know they found a tree. He gets another man from inside the barn, who grabs a small saw. Together, the trio make their way back to the tree the blonde and the boys are guarding.

The man that first greeted the family upon their arrival insists that he and the other employee will take care of preparing the tree for transport and waves the women back towards the farmhouse for hot cocoa and apple cider.

The boys clasp their styrofoam cups of powdered mix hot cocoa in their gloved hands, slowly sipping at the sweet steaming liquid. Emily and JJ trail close behind, a cup of hot apple cider grasped in each one of their free hands as they look for a spot to sit down. Henry and Michael finally settle on a wooden table near the reindeer pen, sitting facing the magnificent creatures.

The women plop down beside the boys: Emily next to Henry and JJ next to Michael, everyone sipping at their warm drinks. Michael’s tiny legs swing back and forth underneath the bench, his head coming to rest on JJ’s arm. Henry hums a song under his breath as he sips at his hot drink, moving closer to Emily for warmth. Both boys’ cheeks are bright red, their breath is coming out in small, white clouds, but their faces reflect just how much fun they’re having. They’re both immediately drawn to the reindeer, staring at the creatures in amazement.

Emily takes a moment to observe the reindeer. With only around two feet distance between herself and the reindeer, the brunette can easily tell the sheer size and muscle of the creatures, grayish-white fur thick and silky. Their muddy brown faces look incredibly gentle with wide, black eyes that observe them curiously. All the deer have antlers, some with massive racks that tower above their heads. Others have smaller antlers still covered in velvet.

Emily digs around in her pockets for quarters to put in one of the three food dispensers that line the outer fence so the boys can feed the reindeer. She hands a few to Henry, then a few to Michael, and watches on as both boys eagerly go towards the pen. 

“Keep your hands flat when you feed them, guys,” JJ reminds the boys. 

“We will, momma!” Michael replies.

“I’ll help him,” Henry promises as he helps his little brother get the food. The twelve-year-old carefully cupping his hands below the dispenser and then pouring what comes out into Michael's hands before getting some for himself. There are spaces between the boards of the pen that allow both boys to place their hands between to feed the reindeer. After some gentle coaxing from his older brother, Michael slowly sticks his hands out for the reindeer. He lets out a small squeal of delight when one carefully eats from his small hands, grinning excitedly up at Henry.

Emily sets down her cup and sneaks her phone from her pocket, snapping a few pictures of the boys as keepsakes. (There's one where Henry and Michael are mid-laugh, hands extended to a reindeer that eats from their palms—a picture that would definitely make the perfect Christmas present.)

She turns her head when JJ moves closer and leans her head on the brunette's shoulder with a content sigh. Their hands find each other immediately, Emily taking the initiative to loop their fingers together with a hum. "This is nice," she murmurs, leaning her cheek on top of JJ's head. "Thank you for inviting me to do this. I never went out to pick a Christmas tree before."

"We used to go to get trees all the time when I was a kid," JJ recalls quietly. "Every year, my parents would round Ros and me into the family car and drive to Amish Country to pick out a tree. We uh..." She swallows thickly, and Emily gently squeezes her hand for reassurance.

JJ's responding squeeze is firm, a silent promise that the blonde will tell her girlfriend later. The younger woman clears her throat with a composed smile. "I'm just... I'm glad I get to do this with you." She turns to her sons when they both laugh again, her heart warming at the sound before she turns to her girlfriend. "We all are."

Emily leans in, capturing the blonde's lips in a soft, passionate kiss that tastes of apples and cinnamon. It's the kind of kiss that leaves her feeling warm down to her bones, the kind of kiss that says everything without words. It makes the older woman sigh happily into JJ's mouth, pulling away with a grin when the blonde giggles.

"Momma! Emmy! Do you think these reindeer are the ones that pull Santa's sleigh?" Michael calls back to the women, looking back at them curiously.

"I'm not sure, buddy," Emily replies as seriously as she can muster. "Wouldn't those reindeer be up in the North Pole?"

"Santa's reindeer are magic! They wouldn't need to stay up with him all the time!" the four-year-old insists. 

"Yeah, Emmy," JJ teases lightly, nudging her girlfriend's side with her elbow. "Duh." 

Emily childishly sticks her tongue out at the blonde before shrugging again at Michael's question. "Maybe."

"Whoa, cool!" Michael whispers in awe. He reaches out his hand, laying his hand briefly on the massive beast. He lets out a small squeal in delight, pulling his hand back and turning to Emily and JJ with a giant grin. "They're so soft, too! But their noses are really cold!"

"Santa's sleigh is pulled by female reindeer," Henry adds as he carefully pets the side of the nearest reindeer. "And these reindeer are all girls 'cause they still have their antlers."

"Uncle Spence tell you guys that?" JJ asks, briefly puzzled by the seemingly random fact.

"Aunt Penelope," Michael and Henry reply at the same time Emily says, "Garcia."

"Really, babe, update your Christmas knowledge," the brunette teases her girlfriend.

JJ playfully rolls her eyes, gently giving Emily a good-natured shove. "We still have to get the tree home, Agent Prentiss. There's still plenty of time to leave you abandoned in the boonies."

Emily just gives the blonde a soft, dazzling smile. "I'd like to see you get rid of me that easily, Agent Jareau." She pokes JJ's side lovingly. "You love me," she sing-songs playfully. 

JJ snorts but plants a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek anyway. She glances towards the car to see the workers finishing up attaching the tree to the car (she reminds herself to make sure to give them a generous tip for their hard work). She gestures to her sons, standing up from the table with Emily.

"Let's head on home, guys!" JJ calls out.

The ride home is a bit chaotic with both boys hyped up on sugar from the hot chocolate and residual excitement from the trip to the tree farm. Christmas music fills the car, only adding to the commotion, but JJ wouldn't trade a moment like this for anything else in the world. 

When Emily reaches over the center console and rests her hand comfortably on the blonde's thigh, JJ knows that the brunette feels the exact same way too.

Getting the tree inside the house is manageable for both trained FBI agents to handle (though it left their hands a bit sticky with tree sap in the process). Setting the tree in its base proves to be a challenge as both Emily and Henry have to hold the tree upright while Michael hands JJ the four bolts to drive into the stump of the tree and the wrench to accomplish the job. After twenty minutes of struggling against JJ's push and both Henry and Emily's pull to make minor adjustments to the tree, Michael (really, all he does is watch and hand JJ the right tools) finally wriggles out from beside his mother to give the tree holders a thumbs up of approval.

JJ slithers out with a hand firmly grasped onto the wrench, flexing her arm. She gives her now pronounced bicep a playful poke, popping her lips softly. Michael looks up at his mom before copying her exact stance. "We did it!" he exclaims, reaching around to give everyone a high-five.

"Way to go team!" Emily whoops, giving the boys a high-five and her girlfriend a kiss (and the blonde's arms an appreciative squeeze). The brunette reaches into her back pocket and produces her switchblade, using it to carefully cut the netting off and away from the tree. She folds down the blade, tucking it away before wiping her palms on her pants and taking a step back. "Alright, all we do now is wait for the branches to fall then we can decorate!"

With the family having already prepared by getting down boxes of ornaments and other decorations before heading off to the farm, they all take the time to just relax in the living room. Everyone has a glass of warm milk and a few cookies: one of Garcia's famous chocolate chip and one of Sandy Jareau's snickerdoodles, both of which Emily would easily eat her weight in if she could. 

_ The Muppets Christmas Carol _ is playing on the TV. With it being more favored by the boys than the live-action  _ Grinch _ movie, they all silently sit back to enjoy their treats and the film. 

JJ tucks her feet up underneath her body, curling up at Emily's side. Their thighs are pressed comfortably together, the brunette's arm wrapped around JJ's waist. The older woman's finger traces random, soothing shapes into her girlfriend's side. The boys sit on the floor in front of the couch, Henry just as enthralled by the movie as his younger brother. Sergio, whose fur is now littered with patches of gray and white, lounges comfortably between both boys, tail swishing peacefully.

Emily tears her eyes away from the TV screen to admire the scene before her. She's never had anything like this growing up, and the holidays she actually did celebrate as an adult were spent holed up alone in her loft with a cheap bottle of red. After joining the BAU, Emily never found herself alone for the holidays, either spending the time either at Penelope Garcia's apartment or being dragged out to Chicago with Derek Morgan and his family. 

Her favorite years were hands down the ones where she stayed at home with JJ, especially in the early years when they both had nowhere to go for the holidays. They would often find themselves sitting together at either JJ's apartment at the time or Emily's loft with the same cheap wine and cheesy Christmas songs playing from Pandora. Those moments stopped for a while when Will was in the picture, but picked back up almost naturally when the blonde didn't have her sons for Christmas.

This is the first time Emily actually gets to spend Christmas with both JJ and her sons, despite the boys having known the nature of their mother's relationship with Emily for years now. It feels so natural, so easy. The older woman never thought that anything could have been missing from previous years with her girlfriend— it was always the best part of her year. As she looks down in front of her to see Michael and Henry, both literally mini clones of their mother. Emily couldn't imagine anything feeling as perfect as things feel right now. 

It feels as if this is what her life was always supposed to be like, and she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she feels tiny hands on her wrist, gently pulling her. "Come on Emmy, Momma! The movie's over! It's time to decorate the tree!" Michael exclaims, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. Henry stands a few feet back holding a disgruntled Sergio, his yellow-green eyes narrowed at the toddler.

From Emily's side, she hears JJ giggle at the display. The blonde stretches her limbs pleasantly before reaching out and scratching behind Sergio's ears.

Emily peers around the boys at the tv, which is playing the ending credits to the movie, before grinning tiredly. She stretches her arms until the joints crack, standing up. "Alright, let's decorate the tree."

"Help me up?" JJ asks Michael with a playful pout, laughing when he agrees without hesitation.

"I'm very strong," he insists, grabbing one of JJ's hands with both of his and heaving back. He squeals with laughter when JJ picks him up when she stands. She peppers tiny kisses all over his face and gently tickles his stomach with the tips of her fingers. "Come on, let's decorate!" she cheers just as eagerly as her son.

The first thing everyone tackles is the box full of Christmas tree lights. Wrapped up in a neat little pile with nothing but a few twist-ties holding the wreath together is a strand of rainbow lights in the shape of tiny bells. "This plays Carol of Bells!" Henry says excitedly, eyes widening in memory of previous years the very lights were in use.

"No way!" Emily says in disbelief.

In response, the twelve-year-old plugs the strand into the nearest outlet. The bundle comes to life in Emily's hands, nearly causing the profiler to drop it in surprise as the music rings out. Sergio bolts out of the room, his paws thumping wildly against the carpet. 

Henry grins, reaching over and turning a dial that cuts off the music but still allows the lights to shine. He then starts to undo the twist-ties, setting them off in a neat pile on the floor, and hands the bulk to Emily to help him untangle.

The brunette chuckles in amusement, turning to her girlfriend as she starts to unravel the chord. "I wonder who picked these lights out then?"

JJ purses her lips innocently as she and Michael begin to wrap the tree with the unraveled lights, starting from the bottom and working their way up. "My legal team advised me to stay away from questions pertaining to the singing Christmas lights,” the blonde says, trying her best to keep her expression neutral.

"Momma picked them out!" Michael says brightly, completely oblivious to the way JJ's cheeks turn red and the light laugh his response draws out of Emily. 

"They're  _ cute _ ," JJ defends herself with a sniff, lifting the four-year-old up as the lights climb higher and higher on the tree.

Emily raises her palms placatingly. "Okay, I won't argue with that." 

The boys pull out the box of ornaments next and work on putting each and every single one pn the tree. There are different colors of bulbs ranging from deep reds to vibrant silvers and golds. JJ pulls out a small shoebox of store-bought ornaments in the shapes of cartoon characters such as Spongebob. 

The boys' excitement only amplifies at the sight, both falling down to the floor to dig through the small box.

Henry proudly pulls out his favorite ornament in the shape of Kermit the Frog for Emily to see.

Michael holds up one bulb with a small, blue-haired cartoon merboy printed on the side. 

"It's Gobby!" he informs her proudly, holding the bulb as if it’s near and dear to him. Emily can't help but smile and play along despite not knowing a thing about the cartoon character. Besides, the brunette thinks his fondness for the little bulb is adorable.

Emily stumbles across another shoebox full of handmade ornaments: bulbs that are filled with dried glue and fine glitter, white popsicle sticks hot glued together to form snowflakes, gingerbread men and reindeer stamped out of baked pieces of clay and tied with string, faces doodled messy on with sharpie, scratchy attempts at the names "Henry" and "Michael" on the backs with corresponding dates. There are even some ornaments the boys made at school that JJ points out to Emily: pictures of young Henry and Michael stamped in the middle of foam board snowmen, clothespins decorated with googly eyes, pom-poms and pipe cleaners to make reindeer, and mason jar lids rimmed with thick yarn.

The blonde and her sons even find an unopened box of icicles that they end up covering Emily with instead of placing them on the tree. The brunette could care less, though. Her heart is so full and the genuine smile on her face keeps growing instead of disappearing.

Michael (with Emily’s assistance) puts the star on top of the tree while Henry and JJ fit the skirt around the tree. Reaching up and attaching the star to the lights, Emily carefully holds the toddler steady in her arms as they all step back to admire their handiwork.

"Wow," Michael gasps quietly.

"It's pretty," Henry says just as softly, looking the tree up and down.

The tree has no set theme and is overflowing with decorations, but Emily thinks it's by far the best tree she's ever seen. She places her hand lovingly on her girlfriend's back, admiring the tree in silence.

"We've outdone ourselves this year guys," JJ concludes proudly. "Good job!" She reaches down and gives the boys high fives and sneaky kisses before leaning up and giving Emily a kiss. "Thank you for helping us."

"Thank you, Emmy!" both boys parrot their mother. Michael throws his arms around the brunette's leg while Henry smushes himself at her side briefly.

It takes all Emily has not to cry right then and there on the spot from the overwhelming sense of joy she feels at that moment. "It's a really beautiful tree, guys," she murmurs, voice catching at the end of her sentence. She clears her throat, using the dirty plates on the table as the excuse to leave the room and compose herself. 

Emily comes back from the kitchen a few minutes later, hands still moist from washing the dishes. She pats them on her pants, looking up once she breaches the threshold of the kitchen into the living room. She freezes in place, puzzled at the sight before her. JJ and the boys are all laying on their backs, their heads and shoulders hidden from beneath the tree. Their feet poke out into the room, puzzling the brunette even more.

"Hey… what are you guys up to?" Emily asks slowly as she tries to wrap her mind around the scene in front of her.

"Looking under the tree!" Henry responds right away, slowly clapping the sides of his socked feet together.

"Come see, Emmy! Come see!" Michael giggles in amazement. "It's so cool!"

Emily stares at the family as if they've gone insane. "Did you guys eat reindeer food and give some to your mother when I wasn't looking?"

JJ reaches her hand out from beneath the tree, ducking out to coax her girlfriend over. "Get your icicle covered butt over here and look under the tree."

"Yep, you've all lost your minds," Emily decides but takes the blonde's hand anyway. She finally relents when JJ gives her the look. The older woman groans playfully and gets on the floor, sliding onto her back and shimmying underneath the tree. 

She has to hold in a surprised gasp at the view. The lights twinkle slowly above her head, the needles and bulbs forming some kind of scenic view, like a pine needle galaxy with bulb planets. It's unique and somehow makes the tree much more magical in appearance. "Wow," she whispers.

JJ gently nudges her side, as if to silently say " _ They told you so, _ " and it makes Emily smile. Instead of a verbal response, she tucks an arm under and around the blonde's waist, looking back up under the tree.

_ This. This is perfect _ , Emily decides to herself.

The night continues on easily, both women taking turns with dinner and getting the boys ready for bed. The older agent gives both Henry and Michael a kiss, switching off storytime for the four-year-old halfway so JJ could finish reading to him, heading out of the room and down the stairs.

Half an hour later, Emily comes out from the kitchen with two steaming mugs of hot buttered kahlua spiked with cinnamon whiskey, each mug topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The profiler takes careful steps, practically tip-toeing to avoid any spills, out to the living room.

Emily stops in the middle of the door frame when she spots JJ on the couch. The blonde's back is facing the brunette, but even from where she is, Emily can tell something is bothering her girlfriend. The blonde’s shoulders are hunched and she seems to be focused on something on the table or in her hands.

Emily carefully comes around and sits on the couch. She places her mug on a coaster on the coffee table, grasping the mug intended for JJ in both her hands. She brings her legs up and sits sideways on the couch, holding out the steaming mug for the blonde. "Hey," she whispers.

JJ's eyes flicker in her direction and she gives a weak smile in response.

"It's really hot," Emily warns softly, bringing the mug closer to the blonde's lips. "Careful when you take a sip."

JJ obeys immediately, her top lip barely skimming the rim of the mug as she takes a small, audible slurp of the sweet, buttery liquid. She hums in satisfaction, reaching out with one hand to grab the handle. "It's good, Em," she praises quietly, setting her own mug beside her girlfriend's to let it cool. Her hand comes back and goes over the object in her hand.

Now that she's closer, Emily can tell it's a small horse-shaped ornament the size of the palm of her hand. It's covered in a thin layer of yellowed velvet with a black mane and tail, all worn with age. The small hooves are dark brown, with small eyes painted the same color. A small, brown saddle rests on the horse's back, the string for hanging the ornament looped firmly around the horn.

Emily doesn't pressure JJ to talk about it. She waits patiently, silently offering her support by resting a hand comfortingly on the blonde's forearm.

JJ runs her thumb over the dulled, black mane of the horse, staring down at it with an unreadable expression. "It was Ros's favorite ornament," she starts quietly, slowly trailing her thumb down the length of the horse. "My mom gave it to me on one of my last visits home before I graduated college. I never..." She trails off, exhaling shakily. 

"I could never bring myself to put it up on the tree. But it always felt comforting to keep it around."

JJ pauses, grabbing her mug from the table and taking a deep sip to calm her nerves. She burns her tongue and gets a smear of whipped cream on her upper lip in the process. Delicately, Emily reaches out and swipes her thumb across the line of whipped cream, wiping it away. The blonde leans her cheek into her girlfriend's hand in response, her eyelashes tickling the brunette's palm. JJ inhales deeply, eyes flicking back down at the horse.

"We never went to a Christmas tree farm after Ros died," she admits softly, looking almost guilty. "It was too difficult to remember her and those memories. For years, Henry would pick out the tree from the parking lots of hardware stores."

"That's okay," Emily murmurs soothingly. 

JJ shakes her head, giving the brunette a slight smile that drops just as quickly as it appears.

"It's so easy with you. Opening up to you, sharing my life with you," JJ whispers. "It always has been." Her hand carefully closes around the horse. "Seeing you with the boys like that today? It felt like... I was a little kid again. I was having fun. I wasn't missing her, but remembering what it was like going to those places with her. It felt... like I was healing."

"You are. I'm so incredibly proud of you," Emily murmurs sincerely, giving JJ's wrists a gentle, comforting squeeze. "I know how difficult it is when you think about her. The fact you did this today, remembered all the good memories of your sister, and created new, positive ones is a big step for you."

The blonde leans forward, planting a loving kiss on the side of Emily's neck. "I'm glad you were there with us," the younger woman murmurs against the pale skin. "It means the world." She turns her head and moves closer so that she's tucked up into Emily's arms. 

They both stare down at the horse, JJ still running her fingers over it. "Where do you think it can go?" the blonde asks her girlfriend quietly. "Up near the star?"

Emily presses a kiss on the other woman's temple. "I think that's a perfect spot."

JJ untangles herself from the brunette's grip and hangs the horse carefully on the tree. Her hand lingers on it for a few seconds before she steps back. She slowly lowers herself back onto her girlfriend's lap, grabbing a hold of her mug with both hands. "Yeah. It's perfect," she concludes, tucking her feet up onto the couch.

They sit and watch the tree in silence, sipping away at their hot drinks and enjoying each other's company.

Emily notices a stray white bulb on the coffee table and furrows her brow in confusion. She didn't even notice it when she first came out of the kitchen. "What's that?" she asks quietly, nodding her head towards the bulb.

JJ's eyes widen slightly as if she just remembered the ornament and reaches forward to grab it. Her smile is warm as she holds the bulb up for the brunette to inspect.

Emily's gaze softens as soon as she registers just what her girlfriend is holding. "Jayje..."

The ornament brings back memories from nearly a decade ago, back when Emily was just a new agent on the BAU team. The brunette looks at the bulb and sees flashes of her old apartment, of a messy coffee table and floor and plenty of wine. How JJ managed to hold onto this ornament for so long is astonishing.

"You remember?" JJ asks softly.

"Remember? How could I forget?" Emily laughs fondly, gently taking the bulb from the blonde's hands. "We made Christmas ornaments ages ago!"

"It was one of the first girl's nights," JJ confirms with a warm smile.

"Yes!" Emily softly exclaims, snapping her fingers. "We were all getting drunk off cheap wine from CVS, following a DIY Christmas tree ornament video Penelope pulled up from Pinterest. I took two of the empty bulbs and made a pair of boobs with a few pom-poms and pink paint." She bites her bottom lip to contain a chuckle at her own immaturity.

"One broke on the way home and the other is god knows where! I can't believe you still have yours!"

"Look at it," JJ insists.

Emily complies, turning the bulb over in her hands. On the side lies her own thumbprint stamped diagonally on the plastic in green paint. Just below it, going the opposite direction is JJ's thumbprint in red paint. The prints form a barely recognizable shape of a heart. 

The brunette swallows hard, speechless. 

She recalls the conversation she and JJ had all those years ago— about how neither of them had a place to go for the holidays (too many bad memories associated with their own respective homes.) JJ, in a slightly drunken stupor, had announced that they could spend the holiday together and make new, better memories. The two agents had made this ornament to commemorate their first Christmas together, way too early on to think of any deeper implications that might come from a simple craft project. At the time, it was just simply the promise of better memories to be created during the holidays by friends. 

"I've kept it ever since that first year," JJ admits. "As I said, it's always felt easy with you. It always has been."

"I enjoy spending this time with you," Emily murmurs. "You always make me feel like I belong. Even more so this year."

"You do," JJ promises, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend's cheek. "We all love you."

Emily beams, glancing from the bulb in her hand and to the tree. "Can I?"

"I insist."

The brunette carefully gets up and places the bulb on the right side of the tree. She steps back to admire her handiwork, turning when she feels JJ wrap her arms around her waist from behind. Emily leans back into the blonde's embrace. "What do you think?"

"I think it looks beautiful," JJ murmurs, planting a soft kiss on the brunette's jaw.

Emily lays her arms comfortably over her girlfriend's, sighing happily to herself. "I think so, too."


End file.
